Main menu

Monthly Archives: July 2013

Post navigation

Work is kicking my butt this week. And yes, I realize it’s only Tuesday. Thankfully, I was able to hit the refresh button this past weekend. Growing up, I hated being outside. I had bad allergies, so television and air conditioning were my best friends. As an adult, I still have allergies, but they aren’t nearly as bad. I get to enjoy the outdoors. I get to breathe. The hubs and I took a little kayak adventure, and I got to hear birds chirp; I got to hear the wind through the trees; I got to listen to the steady sound of my paddle hitting the water; I got to hear silence; I got to breathe. A little bit of endorphins, some fresh air, and a whole lot of nature are good for the soul.

We were in upstate New York this weekend for a wedding, and I’ll post about that soon. For now, I’m going to re-live our trip home to Richmond last weekend.

I hadn’t been back to Richmond since I moved in October (and now it’s practically August, but I digress). We wanted to spend some time with my family, see some friends, and try at least one new restaurant.

Mission Accomplished!

Momma bought me my favorite flowers for our visit! They were a welcome sight after our late-night drive. Saturday we spent all day lounging by the pool and enjoyed a crab feast for dinner. Sunday, we walked around one of my favorite neighborhoods (Churchill), ate at Proper Pie Co. for lunch, and then went and walked the James River to look at all the mural art.

ONE: I got my first Fix!! What is Stitch Fix? It’s your own personal stylist sent right to your door. It’s $20 to sign-up, but you’ll get that back if you purchase even one item. Other than that, the cost is just the cost of the item(s) you keep! You fill out a style-questionnaire, some little Fashion Angel picks out some clothes for you, and then mails them (via FedEx) right to your door.I LOVED it. I’ve always wanted a personal stylist and now I have one. A really good one at that. Every. single. item. is something I would have picked out for myself. Not all of them were keepers this time, but I can’t wait for my next Fix! Before we get too much further, I need to apologize for the poor quality iphone photos. I’ll practice my self-photoshoots for next time!

TWO: A stylist AND style guides. You get everything in a nice box. One of my favorite parts was that all the clothes items came with outfit suggestions.

THREE: My first “outfit” was this white cardigan (which I paired with a simple black cami) and this beautiful turquoise bubble necklace. I loved both of them a lot–so much that I actually already had a cardigan very similar to this one but in gray. I loved the bubble necklace too, but since summer is ending, I was on the fence about it.FOUR: The next Fix were these Kenzie jeans and the striped sweater. The Kenzie jeans were SO comfortable. Unfortunately, I’ve already got a pair of dark skinnies, so it didn’t make sense to keep these. The striped sweater was a nice summer to fall transition piece, but it was a little small and too much of a crop top for my liking. What do you think?FIVE: Horizontal stripes are always a scary thing, but I love me a good maxi dress, so I tried to keep an open mind. The black sides were actually quite slimming. The front hugs my tummy/belly/pooch a little more than I’d like, but when the hubs walked in and said he loved the dress, I decided that insecurity didn’t matter so much. The price, on the other hand, did.I really did love everything in this Fix. My stylist did a great job and seems to really get my style already. When I was trying the clothes on, I didn’t look at price until the end so that my decision would be based on fit, comfort, and appeal. This time around I decided to keep the dress (though you don’t have to keep anything). The hub’s face when he saw me in this made the purchase more than worth it. And now I have something to wear for the wedding we’re headed to this weekend! All the other items, I sent back in a pre-packaged bag via USPS. So easy, so fun. Thank you Fashion Angel!Go getYOUR Fixon!

I’ll be back tomorrow with my first Stitch Fix delivery. For today though, I’m just gonna share two TED Talks I found recently and loved.

Why 30 is NOT the new 20. Let’s be informed ladies! We don’t have to have life figured out yet, but we also can’t procrastinate away these very informative and influential years–our 20s.

Where is home?More and more people worldwide are living in countries not considered their own. I’d add most of us aren’t even living in states, towns or cities considered our own. Some of us get to choose our sense of home and community. We get to travel. And, if we’re lucky, we also understand the value of stopping to enjoy it all. Just being content is definitely something I struggle with. I’m always planning the next adventure and looking ahead in life in general. “It’s only by stopping movement that you can see where to go..Movement only has a meaning if you have a home to go back to.”

Happy birthday America! I wish we all could celebrate our birthdays with fireworks.Happy 4th of July!Boat ride for the architecture tour. A must do if you’re in town!The Bean. Touristy? Yes. Still fun? Definitely.My love and me at The Bean.I love hot dogs.Pretty flowers+awesome architecture.Navy Pier stop.Deep Dish mecca: Gino’s East. Delicious and way. too. filling.Another view from the top of the Hancock.The view fromCastaways.A little time at the beach.We were lucky enough to take in a Cubs game. My Buccos (aka the Pittsburgh Pirates) lost, but it congrats to the home team for taking home the W.View from the women’s restroom at the top of the Hancock. You can either pay an $18 admission fee or go up for a $16 cocktail.Obviously I chose the cocktail.

My love and I spent the 4th of July weekend in Chicago. We were in town visiting friends and got the perfect blend of tourist time+quality time with friends. This was the husband’s first trip to this wonderful city, so we ate lots (hot dogs and deep-dish, the BEST cinnamon roll of my life at Ann Sathers, and a great boozy, iced coffee at The Little Goat), and did the regular tourist stops (the Bean, Millenium Park, top of the Hancock for drinks, etc). We both spent the weekend talking about how we wouldn’t mind living in Chicago, and how cool it is to see a major city sit RIGHT on the water. Even though Lake Michigan isn’t an ocean, it certainly looks like one sometimes. We’re officially jealous of all of you who live in Chi-town. Just let me know if the winters are as bad as they sound ;)